Social Entrepreneur Sanjay Rai Sherpuria named National Brand Ambassador for SDG Choupal
Delhi, India – During the global pandemic Corona crisis, when humanity was groaning all over the country, people’s participation responded intrepidly to the cause of public welfare. On Saturday, well-known social worker and entrepreneur Sanjay Rai Sherpuria was publicly felicitated at the Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra in the capital Delhi for his remarkable contributions in the wake of COVID.
On this occasion, SDG Choupal a collective community member of UN habitat, WHO, NITI Ayog and MSME ministry honored Shri Sanjay Rai Sherpuria by appointing him the National Brand Ambassador for his commendable contributions.
Ex- Chief Justice of India and current Chairman, Press Council of India, Shri Chandramouli Kumar Prasad, was the chief guest at this felicitation function. Addressing the gathering said No state, country or society was spared from the pandemic Sanjay Rai Sherpuria is one of the examples of several human heroes who emerged from within the society who went beyond themselves to help humanity face the ill effects of the pandemic and I am sure our future generations will remember these heroes with gratitude.
President of IGNCA Padmashri Ram Bahadur Rai spoke briefly about the contributions made by Sanjay Rai Sherpuria and said I congratulate Sanjay Rai for his most praise worthy efforts in the face of pandemic to reach humanitarian services to the remotest parts of India.
CEO Niti Aayog and Special guest Shri Amitabh Kant speaking about the social contributions Sanjay Rai Sherpuria said – At the peak of the pandemic when everyone was concerned about their personal safety Sanjay Rai Sherpuria went to back and beyond places like Ghazipur district and worked to save people’s lives for the living and dignity in death.
Several distinguished guests including Rajya Sabha MP Shri Suresh Prabhu, Prof. Vivek Kumar CRDT, IIT Delhi and Chairman of Hindustan Samachar Shri Aravind Mandikar showered praises on the exemplary personality of Shri Sanjay Rai and welcomed the various social initiatives run through his efforts. Thanking SDG on his felicitation Shri Sanjay Rai Sherpuria said I am privileged to be nominated as the national ambassador by SDG Choupal. I am grateful to have been supported by a robust team from the foundation who made our efforts possible. Serving the society and people around us is not merely a duty but responsibility of everyone “I am privileged to be nominated as the national ambassador by SDG Choupal. I am grateful to have been supported by a robust team from the foundation who made our efforts possible. Serving the society and people around us is not merely a duty but responsibility of everyone”
Due to lack of information and facilities during the second wave of the corona pandemic, lakhs of worried families and started to migrate back to villages. It was difficult for any humanitarian support to reach these villages and towns due to the lockdown. In wake of these challenges, Shri Sanjay Rai Sherpuria considered humanity as his religion and emerged as a ray of hope in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. He took a pledge to serve humanity with body, mind and wealth.
Amongst many initiatives that Mr. Sanjay Rai launched, the first move was to distribute oxygen concentrators to more than 200 institutions and individuals of Ghazipur district, which saved thousands of people from untimely death. Apart from this, Sanjay Rai provided the facility of an ambulance, a telemedicine vehicle, essential medicines, doctors and many workers in Ghazipur. Masks and medicines were distributed door-to-door to more than 60 thousand families
Not only this, when he came to know that due to poverty there is black marketing of wood and people are not able to perform the last rites of their dead relatives in their home district Ghazipur, pained by this situation, Sanjay Rai decided in an instant that the suffering of these people need to be addressed on priority. He arranged a timber bank at 10 ghats by collaborating with the administration and social institutions run by him. This not only stopped the pollution caused by decomposition of dead bodies in the river Ganges, but also brought great relief to the families of the deceased. Today this wood bank started by him has become a topic of discussion in the country and abroad.
A coffee table book on Sanjay Rai Sherpuria also published in collaboration with many institutions like Ghazipur Nagrik Abhinandan Samiti, SDG Choupal and Rotary Club International with full details of the stupendous and heartwarming work done for humanity in dreadful times like Corona was released at the event.
Sanjay Rai’s innovative initiatives ensured that the youth and women of Ghazipur do not have to go out in search of employment. For this, he organized job fairs in many areas of the district. Training and skill enhancement support was also provided to improve the employability.
Not only in his hometown, Ghazipur, but also in the capital of the country, Sanjay Rai has made many commendable efforts in raising the standard of living of the people. At the time when the Corona crisis started in Delhi and the problems of the people started increasing, at that time Hindus settled in Delhi hit by a double whammy, the pain of being a refugee, and the effects of Corona crisis.
Sanjay Rai helped took the lead in providing a respectable settlement for these Pakistani Hindus struggling to resettle in the slums of Maharana Pratap Nagar near Majlis Park Metro Station. Sanjay Rai was alone when he took this resolution, taken at a celebration organized in the Basti on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but gradually many people joined this initiative on seeing the rejuvenated settlement.
Presently a private school is operational in this slum. Roads are clean and maintained with trees planted on either side. Separate Toilets and baths are functional, and drinking water was made available using a booster pump. Loans were made available to promote dignified earning opportunities to the young dwellers, food was provided free of cost when they lost their livelihood during the Covid lockdown.
SDP Choupal the associate body of United Nations, Delhi riding Club and select volunteers of VHP provided immense backing and support that contributed to the successful implementation of the initiatives and vision of Sanjay Rai Sherpuria
